Politics
Pope Leo issued a call for peace to the world
On 8 May, during a speech in the Italian city of Pompeii, Pope Leo called on world leaders to ease international tensions, to renounce violence and to prevent the further spread of hatred in the world
The US and Iran are preparing for new talks
Representatives from the US and Iran may hold a new round of talks as early as next week in Islamabad. The parties are preparing an interim memorandum, which is intended to form the basis for further agreements
Russian officials hand in their watches before meetings with Putin
The Russian Federal Security Service has tightened the rules for people meeting with Vladimir Putin in a one-on-one setting. Visitors must now hand in not only their mobile phones but also their wristwatches before the meeting
Pashinyan has cancelled his trip to Russia on 9 May
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he did not take part in the 9 May events in Russia due to the election campaign in his country
A parade was held in Moscow on 9 May without military equipment
On 9 May, the parade on Red Square in Moscow took place in a scaled-down format. This year’s programme did not include a military vehicle parade, nor were cadets, Suvorov Cadets or Nakhimov Cadets involved
“The EU’s black sheep”: Fico makes a new statement in Moscow
During a visit to Moscow, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that he planned to ask Vladimir Putin “a few questions” and to convey a message to him from certain European politicians
The President of Ukraine delivered an address ahead of 9 May
In his address on 9 May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that for Ukrainians, this day is first and foremost a commemoration of the victory over Nazism, rather than a “Russian propaganda spectacle”
Peskov commented on the Ukrainian president’s order regarding the parade
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has commented on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “decree”, which referred to “permission” to hold a parade in Moscow on 9 May
Zelenskyy has signed a decree regarding the parade in Moscow
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has signed Decree No. 374/2026 concerning the holding of a parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026. The decree provides for the temporary exclusion of the Red Square area from the plan for the use of Ukrainian weaponry for the duration of the event
Moldova has backed a ban on the use of Russian in parliament. The outraged opposition walked out of the chamber
The Moldovan Parliament has passed a bill at its first reading which, among other things, requires MPs to speak Romanian during plenary sessions and prohibits so-called ‘political tourism’.
The Kremlin has revoked the accreditation of foreign journalists for the 9 May parade
The Kremlin has withdrawn the accreditation of foreign media for the military parade in Moscow on 9 May. This year’s celebrations marking the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender will also take place without a display of military equipment.
The Vice-President of the European Parliament has reported a cyberattack by Russian hackers on Signal
Pina Picerno, Vice-President of the European Parliament, has stated that there was an attempt to hack her Signal account. According to her, technical evidence suggests a possible link between the attack and a coordinated campaign believed to be linked to Russia’s FSB.
